We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App




Osteoporosis-Related Fractures Lead Reasons for Hospitalization

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 30 Sep 2019
Print article
Image: Osteoporotic fractures are the leading cause of hospitalizations in the U.S. (Photo courtesy of Dreamstime).
Image: Osteoporotic fractures are the leading cause of hospitalizations in the U.S. (Photo courtesy of Dreamstime).
A new study reveals that osteoporotic fractures are responsible for more hospitalizations in the United States than heart attacks, strokes, and breast cancer combined.

A new report released by the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF; Arlington, VA, USA) analyses the economic and clinical impact of bone fractures suffered by American citizens registered in the Medicare program. An independent estimate based on the analysis found that despite proven preventive measures, around two million Americans on Medicare suffered over 2.3 million osteoporosis-related bone fractures during 2015. The analysis also provides insights on the potential economic savings that could be realized if the rate of secondary (repeat) fractures were reduced through model prevention practices. Ialso provides insights on the potential economic savings that could be realized if the rate of secondary (repeat) fractures were reduced through model prevention practices.

Undertaken by actuarial firm Milliman (Seattle, WA, USA), the findings are based on a review of an extensive database of Medicare fee-for-service claims incurred in 2015. Analysis showed that female beneficiaries had a 79% higher rate of osteoporotic fracture than males, and the most common fractures involved the spine and hip, representing 40% of all osteoporotic fractures; hospitalization rates were more than 90% among those sustaining a hip fracture. Nearly 20% died within 12 months of a new osteoporotic fracture, and those with a hip fracture had the highest mortality, with 30% dying within 12 months.

The report also focused on "new" osteoporotic fractures, by excluding beneficiaries who had another osteoporotic fracture in the prior 6- to 12- months. The results revealed that about 15% of those who experienced a new osteoporotic fracture had one or more subsequent fractures within 12 months of the initial fracture. Despite this, only nine percent of women who suffered an osteoporotic fracture were screened with a bone mineral density test within six months of the first fracture. In fact, the percentage of patients aged 50 and older who received a registered therapy for osteoporosis within twelve months of a hip fracture declined from 40% in 2002 to 21% in 2011.

“The health care system is failing the more than 54 million people who either already have osteoporosis or are at high risk of the disease. The good news is that we have the tools to stem this crisis. Medicare pays for state-of-the-art bone density testing to identify those who are at risk of bone fractures,” said Elizabeth Thompson, CEO of NOF. “Medicare also pays for drug treatments for osteoporosis that can help reduce spine and hip fractures by up to 70% and cut repeat fractures by about half. And new models of coordinated care for patients post-fracture have proven to reduce rates of fractures and lower costs.”

Related Links:
National Osteoporosis Foundation
Milliman

Gold Member
SARS‑CoV‑2/Flu A/Flu B/RSV Sample-To-Answer Test
SARS‑CoV‑2/Flu A/Flu B/RSV Cartridge (CE-IVD)
Gold Member
POC Blood Gas Analyzer
Stat Profile Prime Plus
Silver Member
Wireless Mobile ECG Recorder
NR-1207-3/NR-1207-E
New
Color Doppler Ultrasound System
KC20

Print article

Channels

Critical Care

view channel
Image: The permeable wearable electronics developed for long-term biosignal monitoring (Photo courtesy of CityUHK)

Super Permeable Wearable Electronics Enable Long-Term Biosignal Monitoring

Wearable electronics have become integral to enhancing health and fitness by offering continuous tracking of physiological signals over extended periods. This monitoring is crucial for understanding an... Read more

Patient Care

view channel
Image: The newly-launched solution can transform operating room scheduling and boost utilization rates (Photo courtesy of Fujitsu)

Surgical Capacity Optimization Solution Helps Hospitals Boost OR Utilization

An innovative solution has the capability to transform surgical capacity utilization by targeting the root cause of surgical block time inefficiencies. Fujitsu Limited’s (Tokyo, Japan) Surgical Capacity... Read more

Health IT

view channel
Image: First ever institution-specific model provides significant performance advantage over current population-derived models (Photo courtesy of Mount Sinai)

Machine Learning Model Improves Mortality Risk Prediction for Cardiac Surgery Patients

Machine learning algorithms have been deployed to create predictive models in various medical fields, with some demonstrating improved outcomes compared to their standard-of-care counterparts.... Read more

Point of Care

view channel
Image: The PATHFAST hs-cTnI-II high-sensitivity troponin assay has been developed for the PATHFAST Biomarker Analyzer (Photo courtesy of Polymedco)

POC Myocardial Infarction Test Delivers Results in 17 Minutes

Chest pain is the second leading cause of emergency department (ED) visits by adults in the United States, generating over 7 million visits annually. In the event of a suspected heart attack, physicians... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.